I love Broccoli soup. I am not a huge fan of cream of broccoli, but more so pureed broccoli. Cafe Bertnate has the best pureed broccoli soup and I have come to the realization that I will never be able to make anything like it. I have, however, come up with a broccoli soup that is yummy in its own right.

Serves approximately 6-8

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons of olive oil

2 small yellow onions, diced

4 cloves of garlic

3 bunches of broccoli, chopped, including stems

1 large baking potato, peeled and cubed

3 cups of low sodium chicken or vegetable stock

9 cups of water (or however much needed enough to cover the vegetables)

juice from 1 lemon

salt and pepper to taste

old cheddar cheese for garnish

Directions

In a large pot heat olive oil over medium heat. Cook onions and garlic until soft (5-7 minutes).

Add broccoli, potato, stock and water. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until the broccoli and potatoes are tender.

In rounds, puree the soup in a blender until smooth. Only fill the bender up half-way and remove the plastic cap on the lid to let heat escape. Place a dishcloth on top of the hole so it does not splatter. Transfer the soup to a clean pot. You can decide how much water you would like to use from the soup. I like my soup thick, so I did not use all of the water.

Once blended add lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper as needed.

Serve with old cheddar grated on top.

You can serve the soup right away, but I highly recommend that you let it sit for at least a couple of hours (or even overnight). Soup always tastes better after it sits for a bit.